28 Oct 2021 | 11:57 PM UTC
Ukraine: Authorities to tighten domestic COVID-19 restrictions in Kyiv Oblast and several other areas from Oct. 30 /update 39
Ukraine to tighten domestic COVID-19 restrictions in Kyiv and several other areas from Oct. 30; international entry restrictions unchanged.
Event
Authorities will tighten domestic restrictions in Kyiv and several other areas in response to rising COVID-19 case numbers. From Oct. 30, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Luhansk, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv, and Lviv oblasts will be classified as red zones; the city of Kyiv will move to the red level starting Nov. 1. Restrictions in red zones generally include the closure of nonessential businesses and a prohibition on public gatherings. Authorities, however, allow for nonessential businesses to operate provided both personnel and customers are either fully vaccinated or can provide a negative PCR or antigen test result no older than 72 hours. Vaccination or a recent negative test result will also be required in Kyiv for the usage of public transport, as well as visiting hotels, social security institutions, the Central Administrative Office, the Labor and Social Security Administration, and the Pension Fund.
Officials have extended the COVID-19-related nationwide state of emergency until Dec. 31 and are maintaining an "adaptive quarantine" system for tracking disease activity. Under this system, each region is classified as being at either the green, yellow, orange, or red level in order of increasing transmission risk as determined by the volume of COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, local morbidity rates, and the capacity of local hospitals.
Restrictions in orange and yellow zones include capacity limits for mass events, cultural institutions, and fitness centers, among other measures. Yellow- and orange-level restrictions do not apply if all individuals at an event or facility and at least 80 percent of staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently tested negative for the disease. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result is required for all interregional transportation, including via buses, trains, and airplanes; such requirements do not apply for travel within a region.
Red-classified oblasts include Kherson, Odessa, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Nikolaevskaya, and Rivne; Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Luhansk, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv, and Lviv oblasts will also be designated red from Oct. 30. Orange-designated oblasts include Cherkasy, Volyn, Ternopil, Poltavsky, Kharkiv, and Chernivtsy. The rest of the country is classified as yellow.
Facemasks remain mandatory in enclosed public spaces and on public transport across Ukraine.
International Entry Restrictions
All nonresident foreign nationals traveling to Ukraine must have health insurance covering COVID-19 treatment and must generally present documentation indicating vaccination against or recovery from COVID-19 or proof of a negative result from a PCR or rapid antigen test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. Travelers must take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival or subsequently begin up to 10 days of self-isolation, which can be ended early following receipt of a negative result. All unvaccinated foreign nationals entering Ukraine must download and install the "Vdoma" COVID-19 mobile application, which authorities use to monitor self-isolation.
Unvaccinated travelers arriving from Russia and India must undergo self-isolation for at least 14 days. There are no provisions under which such travelers may end their quarantine period early.
Advice
Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.
